Nonstop flight route between San Diego, California, United States and Chelinda, Malawi:
Departure Airport:

Arrival Airport:

Distance from SDM to CEH:
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- About this route
- SDM Airport Information
- CEH Airport Information
- Facts about SDM
- Facts about CEH
- Map of Nearest Airports to SDM
- List of Nearest Airports to SDM
- Map of Furthest Airports from SDM
- List of Furthest Airports from SDM
- Map of Nearest Airports to CEH
- List of Nearest Airports to CEH
- Map of Furthest Airports from CEH
- List of Furthest Airports from CEH
About this route:
A direct, nonstop flight between Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM), San Diego, California, United States and Chelinda Airport (CEH), Chelinda, Malawi would travel a Great Circle distance of 10,036 miles (or 16,151 kilometers).
A Great Circle is the shortest distance between 2 points on a sphere. Because most world maps are flat (but the Earth is round), the route of the shortest distance between 2 points on the Earth will often appear curved when viewed on a flat map, especially for long distances. If you were to simply draw a straight line on a flat map and measure a very long distance, it would likely be much further than if you were to lay a string between those two points on a globe. Because of the large distance between Brown Field Municipal Airport and Chelinda Airport, the route shown on this map most likely appears curved because of this reason.
Try it at home! Get a globe and tightly lay a string between Brown Field Municipal Airport and Chelinda Airport. You'll see that it will travel the same route of the red line on this map!
Departure Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | SDM / KSDM |
Airport Name: | Brown Field Municipal Airport |
Location: | San Diego, California, United States |
GPS Coordinates: | 32°34'19"N by 116°58'49"W |
Area Served: | San Diego, California |
Operator/Owner: | City of San Diego |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 526 feet (160 meters) |
# of Runways: | 2 |
View all routes: | Routes from SDM |
More Information: | SDM Maps & Info |
Arrival Airport Information:
IATA / ICAO Codes: | CEH / FWCD |
Airport Name: | Chelinda Airport |
Location: | Chelinda, Malawi |
GPS Coordinates: | 10°33'29"S by 33°47'59"E |
Area Served: | Chelinda |
Airport Type: | Public |
Elevation: | 7759 feet (2,365 meters) |
# of Runways: | 1 |
View all routes: | Routes from CEH |
More Information: | CEH Maps & Info |
Facts about Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM):
- Tijuana Airport, an airline airport, is just over 1 nmi to the south across the Mexico-United States border, with a similar length and a slightly different runway orientation.
- On March 16, 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire's band and her road manager were among 10 people who died in the crash of a plane that departed from Brown Field.
- Because of Brown Field Municipal Airport's relatively low elevation of 526 feet, planes can take off or land at Brown Field Municipal Airport at a lower air speed than at airports located at a higher elevation. This is because the air density is higher closer to sea level than it would otherwise be at higher elevations.
- The closest airport to Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) is Tijuana International Airport (TIJ), which is located only 2 miles (4 kilometers) SSE of SDM.
- Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) has 2 runways.
- On September 1, 1962 the Navy transferred ownership of Brown Field to the City of San Diego, with the condition that it remains a public airport.
- Brown Field is 1.5 miles north of the US/Mexico border in the Otay Mesa Community of the City of San Diego.
- The furthest airport from Brown Field Municipal Airport (SDM) is Sir Gaëtan Duval Airport (RRG), which is located 11,551 miles (18,590 kilometers) away in Rodrigues Island, Mauritius.
Facts about Chelinda Airport (CEH):
- The furthest airport from Chelinda Airport (CEH) is Hilo International Airport (ITO), which is located 11,572 miles (18,623 kilometers) away in Hilo, Hawaii, United States.
- Chelinda Airport (CEH) currently has only 1 runway.
- Because of Chelinda Airport's high elevation of 7,759 feet, planes must typically fly at a faster airspeed in order to takeoff or land at CEH. Combined with a high temperature, this could make CEH a "Hot & High" airport, where the air density is lower than it would otherwise be at sea level.
- The closest airport to Chelinda Airport (CEH) is Karonga Airport (KGJ), which is located 42 miles (68 kilometers) N of CEH.